By Judy Davis

Gardening is therapeutic for me. Gardening, reading about gardening and anything about gardening enriches my life. I derive a peace and calm from gardening.

The Wildflower Tour Day in Banner at the Seed Center years ago gave to me a calm that I have never experienced before or since. We rode among fields of Sunflowers along a dirt road in a wooden wagon. It was euphoric for me.

I planted 40 daffodil bulbs in my backyard last fall. For those of you that don’t know what a daffodil is, they are the yellow flowers about a foot tall, seen along North and South Lamar in the spring. Daffodils are also known as Jonquils.

I don’t like cold weather so it’s encouraging to see my daffodils coming up in January for the first sign of spring and better weather. They are early spring bulbs and bloom in February. Later spring bulbs are available too.

My friend broke up the soil for my zinnias (flower) on the Thursday before Good Friday. I added topsoil, compost and manure for better drainage. The water must flow through the soil and empty.

Wisteria is one of the few plants that don’t take good drainage. However, Wisteria is invasive and will take over. I planted on Good Friday before Easter. Both my helping friend and I will enjoy many more blessings.

I also bought a yellow rose bush this February. My mother loves yellow roses. I plan to take yellow roses to Mama this summer. My friend dug a hole a foot deep for my rose bush.

The hole for the rose bush is twice as wide as the plant on each side. This is very important.

I put topsoil in the hole and planted it. I watered it deeply I also watered it for five days.  After that, my outside plants are on their own.  This is the reason I like growing flowers rather than vegetables. A vegetable garden has to be tended to nearly every day.

However, I do grow my two yearly tomato plants in molasses barrels from a cattle farm. My tomato plants are grown in containers to avoid pulling weeds.

Cattle clean a molasses barrel slap up. Slap is an Oxford expression meaning very or even completely. My friend from Oxford High School said his wife goes slap wild over the grandchildren.

I enjoy a slice of homegrown tomato on my grilled burger. I have been known to grill with snow on the ground.

My favorite flower is a snowball (large white flower on a bush). I planted a snowball bush in my backyard this spring. The clay soil here is difficult to cultivate. Clay soil doesn’t drain well. I miss the rich brown dirt at my former home in Taylor. I miss the snowballs there that are at least 75 years old. I lived in Taylor 33 years.

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, I hope you can enjoy nature with the peace and calm it gives to me. Enjoy!

Judy Davis is an Oxford resident. You can reach her at jd72gorebs@att.net.